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Let me just start out and say that Iím sixteen in a month and getting together a band for the first time. I donít really like telling my age because some people assume youíre immature when they know your age but I need some advice so oh well. Anyway in this thread I'm gonna ask some questions about as they come up. I want the band to have a Van Halen/Ozzy solo/Metallica type sound (depending on the song) and every one seems cool with that combo, but I'm having some trouble writing happy music. You know what I mean? I just can get any thing to sound Van Halen-ish (good time party like music). I don't want to sound exactly like a VH song but the music never sounds up beat. Iím thinking maybe with a drum and a bass backing me I could do it. And the singer lead lyric writer is having trouble coming up with good lyrics for songs like that too, but I feel that if I can get the music down he could write lyrics to it. Anything advice you guys have for me? Words of wisdom? I already plan on not fucking around with any ones girlfriend or sister.

Go down to the record store and grab a copy of Pat Travers "Go For What You Know".

The other thing that you should familiarize yourself with is the "Shuffle". That's the rythmn behind "So This Is Love", "Beutiful Girls","Bottom's Up","Full Bug","Hot For Teacher","Fools"," Show Your Love"," Ice Cream Man","Summer Nights" and "Big Fat Money".

As far as lyrics go, what makes you happy? When I was 16 it was going out on Friday night with my friends, girls and partying. Has it changed all that much? In the end though you have to be yourself and if that means your write downer stufff then so be it. The audience can spot a phoney half way through the first song.

"Nothing is ever what it seems but everything is exactly what it is." - B. Banzai

Doing a stint in a cover band that covers a fairly wide range of material really can help you in your own creativity as well, as was mentioned earlier, it helps you to understand what types of progressions, modes and band dynamics create different moods and communicate different emotions.

Most of all, don't try and fight what naturally comes out, it's what's really inside you, and you can bet people will pick up on it if you're faking it!

Thanks guys. Pat Travers and the shuffle, and coversongs. Gotcha. Yeah I know Metallica and some of Ozzy solo arenít the happiest of songs, but I want good balance. No being a teenager hasn't changed that much Axxman, hanging out with my friends is fun. Most girls are fun except the last one I got involved with (I think that is what put me in this weird funk) all and all I'm an all round happy guy. I donít' think I'm trying to force myself to be unnatural I just want let myself be natural. The singer has a bunch of love songs written too, some are a little cheesy and dramatic so I'm gonna try to fix those. But the good time song he tried to right was to deep to be a lighthearted song, plus it really sucked anyway. So I told him I would write some lyrics. Keep the advice rolling please I appreciate it.

Everything these guys have said is on the money. tribbs comment about not forcing anything particularly rings true. Even though I am the biggest eddie nut there is, when I write stuff I don't think about anything. If it sounds like vh or whatever then it does so naturalistically.

That said, here are some chord voicings that ought to come in handy. Stuff like this pops up all over cool vh tunes, from "RWTD" to "Feel your Love Tonight" to "So this is Love" to "Panama" to... I think u get the picture. BTW these are all basically major triads so once again major keys are what you want to go for if u wanna go "happy."

Do you see what everyones telling you here? EXCELENT advice all around. Listen, minor keys do not a happy happy joy joy song make! My advice is, dont "join" a seperate cover band... Take THIS band and learn a bunch of covers in the same "feel" that your going for with the originals. This will do 2 things;
1) Improve your chops & make your band tighter as a unit
2) Put everyone in the band on the same page musically

Originally posted by BaconHead:Everything these guys have said is on the money. tribbs comment about not forcing anything particularly rings true. Even though I am the biggest eddie nut there is, when I write stuff I don't think about anything. If it sounds like vh or whatever then it does so naturalistically.

That said, here are some chord voicings that ought to come in handy. Stuff like this pops up all over cool vh tunes, from "RWTD" to "Feel your Love Tonight" to "So this is Love" to "Panama" to... I think u get the picture. BTW these are all basically major triads so once again major keys are what you want to go for if u wanna go "happy."

There were these guys from Pasadena who were a kick ass band. They played a bunch of covers mixed in with their origonals. Songs like 'You Really Got Me" by the Kinks, "Ice Cream Man" and some Cream covers.

Oh...What was their name?...It's been so long...Van...Morrison?...I give up.

"Nothing is ever what it seems but everything is exactly what it is." - B. Banzai

Well, I think I'm gonna have to give up on the real happy songs, cause I just can't write them. I think I'll shift from Metallica to stuff like Priest and Maiden, My writing style is close to that so I think that will work better. Thanks for the help guys, you were right about stuck with what I'm good at, shouldn't have tried to force out somthing.

Originally posted by NxtVanHalen.: ... you were right about stuck with what I'm good at, shouldn't have tried to force out somthing.

.. but what you should do is learn what the difference between a happy and not so happy song. I still strongly suggest learning a bunch of covers, playing a few shows, and see what starts to happen to your writing style, it will broaden.

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